Something on the Hill

In Kohuth and Sánchez’s seasonal work, friendly forest creatures march to the top of a hill, where they all sense a “Something” taking root in winter’s aftermath. Field Mouse, first to awaken from an icy slumber, intuits a change: “Something was out there, calling to her. Something on the Hill.” As she ventures forth, she’s soon joined by Gray Squirrel, Doe, and aged Turtle, who indicates that the hillside mystery “goes like this each year.” The intrepid band expands with the addition of some ducks and a bear family, until the whole crew arrives at the summit, discovering the “Something”: spring’s harbinger. Handmade brushes and textures lend digital renderings a smudgy quality in images that gradually shift from a wintry palette to one with yellow and green undertones. The result is a jubilant tribute to creaturely instincts as well as bonds that endure seasonal transitions. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)